Elongate workpieces may include, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a multilayered tape stored on a reel Such tape workpieces may be used, by way of further example and not by way of limitation, in a manufacturing process that may include a material having a backing layer covering one face of the material. The backing layer may protect an adhesive or another feature of the covered face of the material until the material is used. It may be advantageous to be able to splice lengths of an elongate workpiece such as a tape workpiece in order to reduce waste, to reuse reels for storing the workpiece material, to consolidate partial reels to a full reel so as to conserve space or material or for another reason. It may also be advantageous for a spliced workpiece to be substantially as strong as an unspliced workpiece. While a splice may initially be weaker than the unspliced material, the initial splice may only need to be strong enough to maintain integrity though a process in which a workpiece is employed, such as a laminating process using a tape-like workpiece to create a surface area of a part. Once a part in which a workpiece is included may be cured, any discontinuity occasioned by a splice may have little influence on the strength of the finished and cured part. It may further be advantageous for a spliced workpiece to be substantially free of significant gaps or other discontinuities.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for splicing an elongate multi-layered workpiece that can present a spliced elongate workpiece that is substantially as strong as an unspliced workpiece.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for splicing an elongate multi-layered workpiece that can present a spliced elongate workpiece having few significant gaps or other discontinuities.